


After the End

by Quiligans_Island (withthekeyisking)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Brotherly Affection, Castiel and Dean Winchester Have a Profound Bond, Dean Winchester in Heaven, Discussions of Feelings, Episode: s15e20 Carry On, Happy Winchesters (Supernatural), Multi, Post-Episode: s15e20 Carry On, Sam Winchester in Heaven, Series Finale, no editing we die like the winchesters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:15:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27641272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withthekeyisking/pseuds/Quiligans_Island
Summary: After Sam arrives, the brothers have quite a lot to talk about. And an angel (and a sort-of-God) to see.SPN Series Finale Spoilers
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Comments: 14
Kudos: 94





	After the End

**Author's Note:**

> It is like three in the morning and I wrote this all very quickly, possessed by my Supernatural obsession that required me to address the finale.
> 
> I haven't written SPN fanfiction in _years_ (and the fanfiction I wrote back then wasn't the best) but I genuinely enjoyed the finale and saw a lot of people hating on it, so here I am to put in my two cents, for whatever they're worth.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy :)

The impala sat in Sam's garage for decades.

He drove it, in the beginning. There was no other option really; he needed a car to get around, to get to every hunt he found, and the impala was already filled with everything he would need for his job. Had already proven itself durable and up to the task.

(And Dean would've killed him if he left Baby to waste away in the bunker. Then again, he also would've killed Sam for _driving_ his car, so it's not like there's a winning scenario.

And Sam would've given anything for Dean to appear and yell at him, anyway.)

But then he met Jenna. Another hunter, one who lost her parents and her siblings to monsters. Ferocious and determined and confident, but also retiring. Giving up the hunting life of her own free will. Not waiting until the job killed her, but deciding she'd done quite a lot of good in the world, and it was time to check out some of the normal, human things she'd spent years protecting.

(She knew the Winchester name, like everyone seemed to. She was the first to learn about Dean's death.)

She gave him a reason to stop. She showed him he didn't have to keep hunting, didn't have to live his life going from one job to the next. He didn't have to be alone.

And Sam thought...Well, he thought Dean would've liked Jenna. Dean would've admired her spirit, her strength, her _kindness_ in the face of everything she's been through. And he would've liked the fact that she wanted Sam to be happy.

So Sam stayed in town with her. He stayed with her, and he fell in love with her, and then he married her.

And the impala went into the garage.

He didn't touch it. He couldn't. That car was one of the most important objects in the entire universe, and it was because of _Dean._ It was always Dean. And driving it without him when he didn't _need_ to—

So Baby sat. And Jenna didn't push. And when it came time for their son to be born, _she_ was the one who suggested naming him Dean.

It wasn't until the diagnosis came down, it wasn't until Sam was _sick,_ that he dragged himself into the garage when Jenna and Dean weren't home, and gingerly sat behind the wheel, and grieved for his brother and himself and wondered what would come next.

So now, sitting in the passenger seat of the impala as it zooms down the road, Dean—Dean, his Dean, his _brother_ —behind the wheel, it's...strange.

He spent decades avoiding this car. He spent decades without _Dean._

And Dean is...his big brother is so _young._ He hasn't changed a single inch from who he was the last time Sam saw him, since he—died. And for Dean, that was only a few hours ago. For Sam, it's been a lifetime.

He closes his eyes and tries to simply enjoy it. He himself is in a younger body again. It's almost breathtaking, the complete lack of aching joints or shaking bones, the things he's spent so long by this point dealing with that the lack of them is startling. He's once again in his thirties, like not a day has passed since he and Dean lived just like this.

It makes it almost easy to imagine that nothing _has_ changed. That everything else was a dream, Jenna and his son and their life together. Because here he and Dean are, rock music blaring, Dean's grin bright across his face as the impala pushes seventy.

Sam's back aches with phantom pain. He can't be bothered to care.

He misses Jenna, and his son. But he knows they're going to be okay. His son grew up into quite the Man of Letters; all of Sam's hunter training and scholarly learning blending together to create something special. They're both going to be okay, until enough time passes and they can join him here.

He can't wait for them to meet Dean.

And he _really_ can't wait to tell Dean about naming his son after him, to see his brother's constipated expression as the emotions of such a thing hit him.

When they finally stop just driving and reach a destination, a smile breaks out across Sam's face; the Roadhouse. It has been _years_ since he's seen this place, and damn is it good to be here again. And if this is the Roadhouse, then that means _Ellen and Jo and Ash._ His heart surges at the idea of seeing them again.

"Pretty awesome, right?" Dean says, eyes bright.

It's fantastic to see him so happy. Sam remembers the smile on his face, when he was dying. Remembers the peace that hit his expression as he went. That same peace clings to him now, relaxing the line of his shoulders and removing the perpetual furrow between his eyebrows.

He's as old as he's ever been, but he looks so young in this moment. The man he was before every day of their life was consumed by defeating the next big bad. Sam wants desperately to preserve it, and has to remind himself there's nothing to fight against. There's nothing trying to take that peace away. They're here together, after all these years.

Sam is so very old. But for Dean, _with_ Dean, nothing really has to change.

"Yeah it is," Sam agrees, grinning himself as he gets out of the car. "How are we _here,_ though? What memory is this?"

Dean shakes his head, slamming the car door shut and strolling over to the Roadhouse. "No more memory prisons, Sammy," he says, throwing himself down into one of the waiting chairs. Sam sits down in his own more carefully. "Heaven's wide open now, everyone can go anywhere they want. Bobby's here, by the way. Probably inside."

Sam blinks, digesting that. He lets out a light laugh. "So Jack really did it? That's incredible."

"Yeah," Dean says, leaning forward to offer Sam a beer, which Sam accepts. "He had a little help, though."

Sam raises an eyebrow. "A little help? From who?"

He's picturing all of their enemies, all of the people who wouldn't hesitate to try to take some power in the vacuum left by Chuck's absence. He doesn't think Jack would allow something like that to happen, but he's still so young and has a million things on his plate. It's possible he let something slide—

"Cas," Dean says, squinting away, his lips tugging upward.

"Wait, are you _serious?"_

"Uh huh. Jack must've sprung him, right? Apparently the pair of them are—well, shaping Heaven together, apparently."

Sam leans back in his chair. Wow. He didn't think he'd ever hear of Castiel again. He...prayed to him a few times, over the years. Never expecting a response, _knowing_ Cas was gone. But it brought him some comfort. The same way praying to Jack did.

He didn't pray to be answered; he prayed to feel steady, and to feel connected to two people who meant so much to him. Someone who was like a brother to him, and someone who was like his child. Two people he truly never thought he'd see again, despite the hope for Jack.

But Castiel is _alive?_

"That's amazing," Sam says, shaking his head with a smile. "That's—wow. Dean, that's great! Have you seen him yet?"

Dean glances at him quickly, then back out to the wide open space in front of him, taking a long sip of beer. "Not yet. I don't know if that's possible, really. I don't know if he or Jack'll come."

 _Of course they'll come,_ Sam thinks. _Of course_ Cas _will come, if you call him. He always has. He always will._

"Have you tried?" Sam asks.

Dean shifts, leans back. Not quite agitated, but uncomfortable. Awkward, maybe. Sam's brow furrows, confused.

"What's going on?"

Dean shakes his head. "It's nothing, Sam."

"Dean—"

"It's _nothing._ It's—he just—" Dean huffs a laugh, shaking his head. He leans forward again, forearms bracing on his thighs, fingers folding together. He sighs.

"Cas...told me something," Dean says stiltedly, gaze fixed on the impala. "Before the Empty took him." A pause. "He said a lot of things, said a lot of...He told me that he—" He sighs sharply. "That he _loves_ me."

Sam waits for more, waits for wherever this is going, and then blinks in surprise when he realizes that that's it. That that's what has Dean so out of sorts.

"Dean," Sam says, slightly amused. He feels like he's talking to his son, when Dean turned fourteen years old and flushed bright red every time he spoke to the girl he had a crush on. "Is that...really a surprise to you?"

Dean frowns over at him. "What?"

"Uh," Sam says, giving a small laugh. "Really, you didn't see it? Mr. _Profound Bond,_ the one who went into hell for you, the one who _died_ for you time and time again? Who has always done everything he could possibly do for you? Who turned against Heaven for _you,_ at every opportunity? Hell, Dean, did it not hit you when angels _and_ demons _and_ monsters were all telling you Cas was in love with you?"

Dean's frown deepens. "But that wasn't—it was just—it was—"

Watching his brother flounder makes Sam chuckle. So many years have passed, but Dean is still blessedly the same. Bad at dealing with big emotions. Bad at letting himself be happy.

"You're allowed to have good things, Dean."

"That's not what this is," Dean snaps back. "I'm not trying to _deny_ myself, it's just—he's not—he _wouldn't—"_

He cuts himself off, scowling, looking down. Sam wonders what he's thinking about, what he's remembering. Sam's content to wait, taking a long sip of beer.

"He was dying," Dean grits out. "Him telling me, it was sealing his fate. He was _sacrificing himself_ to save me and I could barely accept what he was saying before he was _gone._ I didn't want—I didn't _say anything._ He sacrificed himself for me, Sammy, and I couldn't do a damn thing to make it any easier on him."

"He understands," Sam says gently, because of _course_ Cas understands. He knows Dean, knows what moments like that do to him. Castiel wouldn't have expected a declaration in response. It wasn't about that. It never is, when Castiel gives himself up for Dean.

So maybe Dean is hesitating out of some misplaced guilt. Maybe he really doesn't know what he would say, if he saw Cas again. If he would manage to open his mouth and be honest, or repress for a few more years.

With Dean Winchester, anything is possible.

"So what have you been up to?" Dean says suddenly, which Sam should've expected. Distract and evade has always been Dean's go-to. But that's alright, Sam can leave it for now. He can press Dean more later.

Sam holds up his hand, where his wedding band sits shining in the sunlight. Dean blinks, and then grins.

"No way, man! You got married?" Sam nods. "Who's the unlucky lady?"

Sam huffs a laugh. "Her name is Jenna," he tells him, smiling softly. "She was a hunter, actually. You'd like her."

Dean's smile grows. "Look at you, Sammy. You settled down. That normal life all it was cracked up to be?"

"Yes," Sam says honestly. He didn't want Dean to die, he would've given _anything_ to have his brother by his side as he grew old—but yes, the 'normal' life was good. "I...had a good life, Dean. I kept my promise to you."

Dean looks away, squinting, and Sam allows him a moment before he says, "My son's a pretty good hunter, by the way."

Dean's head snaps over to look at him again, eyebrows reaching his hairline. "You had a _kid?_ Damn, Sammy. Guess all that work you put into Jack had to pay off sometime, huh?"

"You'd like him," Sam says with a crooked smile. "And I know he'd love to meet the man he was named after."

Dean stares at him for a long moment. His face twists in a million different directions, and Sam waits patiently. His brother looks away, clears his throat, rolls his shoulders, shifts in his chair. Takes a deep breath through his nose and then lets it out slowly.

"Damn right you gave him a cool name," he says eventually. "Growing up with you as a dad, he had to get his skills from _something."_

Sam snorts, shaking his head. "Sure, man."

Silence falls over the pair of them, and it's peaceful. They sip their beers, and stare out over the beautiful place that is now their home, the warm familiarity of the Roadhouse behind them.

"Apparently mom and dad are down that way," Dean says after a while, pointing northwest. "And uh, Rufus about a mile that way, according to Bobby. Apparently everyone's around, if we want to see them."

Sam wonders about Eileen, if she's happy here, what it would be like to see her again after so long, after the life he's lived. Wonders about Jess, too. The girl who started it all. He hopes she's happy now, and at peace. She deserves it.

"That's great, Dean," Sam says softly. "But I think there are a couple people we should see first, before we make the rounds."

Dean cocks an eyebrow at him. "Who, Ellen and Jo? They're probably inside, if you want to—"

Sam ignores him, closes his eyes, and loudly prays, "Castiel, Jack, if you have a moment it would be awesome to see you."

 _"Sam,"_ Dean hisses, straightening. He opens his mouth to say more, but the familiar sound of wings shuts him up.

Castiel looks good. There's not a scratch on him, not a single tear in his clothing. He holds himself confidently, standing tall. Sam feels like it's been forever since he's seen Castiel like that, completely free of the burdens he took on on Earth. Took on for them. Took on for _Dean._

"Hello, Sam," Castiel greets, inclining his head. He's smiling, the familiar crooked one that tells Sam all he needs to know about how Cas is faring. His eyes shift to Dean, and soften slightly. So does his voice when he says, "Hello, Dean."

Dean swallows, pushes himself to his feet. "Cas," he says roughly. His eyes flick around like he doesn't know where to look. His hands twitch at his sides.

Once more, Sam is reminded of his son at age fourteen.

He stands as well. "It's really good to see you," he says, because clearly Dean won't. "We thought..."

"I know," Castiel replies. "I thought so too. My deal with the Empty..." He looks at Dean again, who inhales but doesn't speak.

What was said, Sam wonders. Other than _I love you,_ what did Cas say that put Dean in this state?

"Well," Cas continues just slightly awkwardly, to Sam. "I thought that was it. But Jack, he pulled me out when he started to fix anything. And together we've been working on Heaven. Making it the place it should be. A place to be proud of."

The pride is clear in his voice; this is always what Castiel wanted, Sam knows. To do good, to make the world better. To be near Dean while he does it.

"And Jack?" Sam asks.

"He—wanted to give us a moment," Castiel says, head tilting in the way it does when he doesn't fully understand something. "I told him that was unnecessary, that you both would want to see him, too."

"How is he?" Dean asks, a little stiffly. Sam's starting to feel exasperated, and shoots his brother a look that Dean pretends to not see.

"He's...good," Cas settles on. "He's everything, now. He's...God. But he's still _Jack."_

A weight lessens on Sam's shoulders. He'd been a little worried about their kid. Worried that Jack would lose some of himself to the new power and knowledge that he suddenly held. It's really good to know he's still himself.

"Jack," Sam says with a smile. "C'mon, man."

There's no noise with the boy's arrival, he simply blinks into existence beside Castiel, making Sam and Dean jump; even so many years in, they've never _quite_ gotten used to that.

Jack raises a hand. "Hello," he says. "It is good to see you both again."

Sam walks forward, pulling him into a hug. He can feel Jack's smile against his shoulder, and then sees it when he pulls back.

He immediately moves to hug Castiel too, feeling a little choked up. In such a short period of time he's been reunited with three members of his family, a few of the most important people in the world to him. People he's waited _decades_ to be near again.

When Sam pulls back from Cas, they share a brief look, but Cas' eyes are on Dean. He's always stared, always watched. How Dean couldn't tell that it was always about _him,_ more than anyone else, Sam won't ever understand.

"Come on," Sam says to Jack, clasping the boy-turned-God on the shoulder. "Why don't I introduce you to some people inside? Ellen is gonna love you."

"Sam," Dean says tightly, but Sam only smirks back, guiding Jack towards the Roadhouse.

When he reaches the door, he looks back. Castiel is standing in front of Dean now, expression open and honest, a soft smile on his lips. Dean is staring at the ground between their feet, saying something quietly, and then he squares his shoulders and pulls Cas into a firm hug. One of his hands cups the back of Castiel's head, the other wrapping tightly around his waist.

Castiel returns the hug immediately, pulling Dean in closer. And Sam can't hear what the angel says, but whatever it is has Dean drawing back just far enough to look him in the eye. There's something rare and vulnerable on the man's face, something that makes Sam's chest feel tight.

And when Castiel begins to lean in, Sam turns away, giving the pair the privacy they deserve.

He has people to see, anyway. He can tease Dean about all of this later, the _Righteous Man_ and his angel.

They've got all the time in the world, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> We saw literally nothing about the woman Sam married, so all the stuff about "Jenna" in this I just made up.
> 
> Hope you liked it! I shall now go back into my SPN fanfiction hibernation XD


End file.
